In Conversation with Zohad Reza Chowdhury

1. Please tell us a little bit about your childhood and your journey of becoming a musician?

– I was lucky enough to grow up in a joint family surrounded by my grandmothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews from both paternal and maternal sides. I grew up in an environment where supporting each other and helping each other out meant everything. School even though I hated waking up so early (still hate it) was great because of the friends I had. Played a lot of sports. My parents were and are still supportive of whatever I wanted to do and want to do. So my childhood was pretty great. Wouldn’t change anything. Music was always a big part in my life but the idea of being a musician really never crossed my mind. It just happened. I am still in the endless process of being a musician.

2. What or who inspires you the most to become a musician?

– Bono from U2 has inspired me the most to become a musician.

3. How would you describe the songs you have been making till now? What is your upcoming project?

– I think the songs that we’ve made so far are pretty great. That’s how I would describe them. Haha!! I’ve recently collaborated on a track with Arafat Mohsin Nidhi of Studio58. Will come out on Eid day hopefully. Also working on something with Shishir of Aurthohin. Writing new stuff for my band Nemesis as well.

4. Which musician/s do you admire in the country and abroad?

– My father was in a rock band in the 60s called The Rambling Stones and my mother played the sitar, so they sort of had an influence on my musical traits I guess. Irish band U2 had a big influence on my music and the band sort of somehow made me believe that I could do music and that through music, we could voice out our opinions regarding a lot of things. Other influences would be Michael Jackson, The Police, Pearl Jam, that whole grunge era, Bob Marley, Incubus, Cryptic Fate, Arnob, more recently Queens of the Stone Age, The National. Too many to mention.

5. What is your most favorite song you love to perform?

– I love performing Janala and Ami.

6. Tell us about your favorite live performance?

– Favorite live performance would be our solo show at the Russian Cultural Centre two years ago. It was called Homecoming, since we started our musical journey from that venue. It was just a memorable show for many reasons starting from the fans to organizing everything by ourselves. This show I’ll never forget. The launch event for our album ‘Gonojowar’ is a very close second.

7. What is the best advice you have been given until now?

– The best advice I ever got was given to me by one of my mentors, Shakib Chowdhury of Cryptic Fate. It was during the time when both Maher and Omayr left the band. He just said ‘Zohad just forget about who left the band, you’re the vocalist of the band, as long as you’re around, Nemesis can and will go on.’ That gave me a lot of courage to continue with Nemesis and to take it up as a challenge. I’ll never forget it and for that I am forever grateful to him.

8. What is the role of the internet in the recent modern music industry? Any comments about the current music industry?

– Internet along with all the social media platforms now plays the biggest role in music. The way we listen to music isn’t the same anymore. It’s through apps and other platforms that we promote and release our music. That’s the only way can reach our audience.

9. What is the best message you have received from your fans?

– That we are the greatest thing to have happened to them and the fact that we have helped them through hard times. That means a lot to me and to the band. To be able to help people out through our music.

10. What would you be doing right now, if you didn’t pick a career in music?

– I absolutely have no clue.

11. How you are spending your time during this quarantine?

– Quarantine’s been tough but it could’ve been worse I guess. Keeping myself busy with music, exercise and more music. Haha. Also have been interacting more with fans on Facebook, Instagram.

12. What advise you want to give to the young musician?

– My one and only advice to a young musician would be to keep practicing, have conviction, to keep at it and to be true to yourself. If you put in the hours, something good is bound to happen.

13. Name your 3 favorite songs which are in your current playlist?

– Incubus – On without me, The Killers – Caution, The Water Boys – The whole of the moon.

14. A person who supported you the most to make this journey?

– Can’t just mention one person, it has to be my parents, siblings, my wife, my friends and of course my band.

15. Messages you like to share with your fans.

– Love and strength to all of you in this crazy and difficult time. Hang in there and we’ll see each other very soon. Stay safe, stay indoors and stay healthy. Take care of yourself and your family and keep listening to Nemesis!!

16. Tell us about the overall impact of this pandemic in our local music industry.

– Well I can’t say about the overall impact in the local music industry but from a personal experience, it has affected us pretty bad. Most bands or performing artists, from a monetary angle rely on live shows which have stopped indefinitely, so it has definitely impacted a lot of us musicians.

17. Due to this pandemic so many concerts are getting cancelled. How do you explain the consequences of this huge loss? Are you planning anything for that?

– Not just concerts but almost everything has stopped. We have never witnessed anything of this magnitude that has affected humans and that too on such a global scale since the Second World War. I don’t know when we’ll again see thousands of people gather around for a sports event, or a concert. Don’t know whether human interaction will ever be the same. These are some of the thoughts that go around in my head. When it comes to me planning, there’s nothing else but to write new material and to try and keep our fans engaged with us one way or the other. It’s really a waiting game on another level.

18. What will be your advice for the professional musicians during this pandemic?

– Like I’ve mentioned earlier, only piece of advice is to hang in there and to maybe try and work on our skills to improve ourselves. These are tough times especially for professional musicians like us but I know that we’ll overcome this great obstacle one day or another. Love and strength!